


the armor of a hundred warriors, the wings of a thousand eagles

by Stormkrigeren



Category: DC Extended Universe, Wonder Woman (Movies - Jenkins)
Genre: (except he came back and everything turned out great), (just like my beta will be back next week), A Short History of the Amazonian Race, FYI this fic is not part of the Red Capes universe, Gen, If You Want Something To Read You Gotta Write It Yourself, No Beta We Die Like Clark In BvS, WW84, anyway, basically I just want more fics in the Asteria tag, i got reallllllyyyyy sidetracked, speedwriting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-07
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-03-16 01:35:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28573875
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Stormkrigeren/pseuds/Stormkrigeren
Summary: Asteria knew the truth - a battle could be won at the cost of a single life or all of them. So for the sake of her sisters and her queen, she allowed herself to be the one soul lost.Though her sisters would not let her die unarmed.
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7





	the armor of a hundred warriors, the wings of a thousand eagles

**Author's Note:**

  * For [lostariel0716](https://archiveofourown.org/users/lostariel0716/gifts).



> Gooooood morning, y'all! This here is a very quick one-shot written just after I watched WW84 the other night, because the minute it was over I was already on Ao3 searching the Asteria tag only to find it woefully lonely. And I am here to change that!
> 
> Anyway... one-shot, Asteria, poetic style, I have not slept since the start of 2021 or before that, #amazonsarerad, and I hope y'all enjoy!!

The first thing Asteria remembers is the sea.

It was shining, shimmering, dancing on the day that she was created. The water was warm and the gentle waves urged her towards shore with her sisters on either side - as one, the first Amazons swam towards the towering peaks in the distance and towards Mankind.

The first thing Asteria learned was that she and her sisters had been created with a purpose - to heal Mankind’s hearts with peace and love.

Those poor people, the most populous of the many in the small world, were subject to the corruption of the War-god, Ares. It was not their fault that they had become violent or cruel, it was not their fault that their hearts had been turned by War - but it was the Amazons’ job to repair the damage done.

The first Man Asteria saw was a dark-haired youth in silver armor on the shores of the sea, simply watching the gulls overhead.

At some point, the Man’s gaze drifted from the sky to the sea and saw the women coming towards him. He looked startled and ran from the rocky beach and out of sight, but returned a few minutes later with a few more armored Men and their horses. It was Hippolyta who reached them first - climbing up from the sea to greet them with a smile and peaceful hand. The Men were surprised, to say the least, but also thrilled and in awe at the Amazons’ strength and fighting prowess.

The women were welcomed into Mankind’s lands with open arms, revered for their abilities and honored for their kindness. They adapted well to the new world of Men, finding places to live among friendly humans and tasks they alone could complete for compensation. It was not long before the Amazons made a life for themselves among Mankind, typically as warriors or guardians protecting the people from feral beasts and other threats, but mostly as friends. Men and Amazons helped each other, worked alongside each other, and strived together to make a world of peace. The purpose that Asteria and her sisters had been created for seemed well on its way to being fulfilled.

The first Asteria saw of it was a red glow in the sky, one that looked nothing like the rosy sunset or watchtower fires from the city of Men she had come to call home.

It was not long before the invaders fell from the sky in a cloud of ashes, a sound like thunder signaling their arrival. They came down not far from the city, followed by a fleet of dark ships that sailed the sky instead of the sea, and thousands upon thousands of what she could only describe as ‘winged demons’ came shortly after. Their master, a tall and horned god wielding a fiery axe, had made his intention very clear - this was an invasion.

They fell upon the Earth as locusts fall upon a ripe crop, a wave of fire going before them and burning the land clear of life. Hippolyta saw the damage done and did not hesitate to muster her warriors, signaling the call to battle with a long blow of her war horn. Within minutes, every Amazon with a sword was buckling on their armor and saddling their steeds, preparing to fight for the land they had only recently gained - even if they had to fight alone.

Strength was on their side and the battle would not be between two armies, but four. Mankind saw the bravery of the Amazons and was encouraged, summoning their own warriors to fight alongside the women. Word was sent to the Atlanteans, people of the sea and subjects of Poseidon, that their world was in danger - not long after, that third army rose up to defend their Earth. 

It was Hippolyta who led the charge - she was the one who had first stood up against the invaders, and by rights should be the one to see them defeated. It was her war cry that signaled the demons’ demise as the three armies of Earth set forth to defend what was rightfully theirs, even in the face of countless invading soldiers. They were overwhelmed and outnumbered beyond belief - but there would be no stopping the warrior people. The Amazons fought as they had always dreamed of fighting: strong and powerful and to the death, side by side with their allies. They were glorious to behold among the dark parademons, but glorious does not equal unkillable.

The first time Asteria saw one of her sisters die, she screamed in utter fury.

There was a blade dark with blood through her sister’s chest, and another of her fellow Amazons lay dead not far off - more were losing their lives every moment. Asteria had seen death before, but only in Men and animals, not in her dearest sisters and warriors. It was terrible and heartbreaking and infuriating… and more than worthy of vengeance.

She fought all the harder for it, slaying any demon that dared come near her and her blade. The dirt was red with their blood as Asteria plowed her way through their ranks, caring not for any injuries she gained or friendly forces she left behind. She had one thought on her mind - and that was death to the murderers.

Rage and vengeance clouded her mind from pain but did not hide the very clear fact that the demons were growing stronger, both in numbers and in strength. Their master had three tools at his disposal - three boxes which seemed to contain infinite power within them, and when united, that power was enough to not only conquer a world but  _ destroy _ it. Asteria knew nothing of all of this, she only knew that the forces of Earth stood no chance. That was why the usually stoic and unmovable Amazon did the one thing she had thought she never would - she cried out for help.

The first time Asteria saw a deity, it was Artemis, the Greatest of Hunters, as the goddess shot down an invading sky-ship with an arrow forged in the sun.

The gods and the stars had heard their plea for help and had answered in full power. Magnificent creatures came down from the stars, surrounded by a halo of green light as they flew with ease through the sky and fought back against the attackers. Artemis summoned the beasts of the hunt to their aid, trampling enemy soldiers into the dirt. Even almighty Zeus, the ruler of Earth’s pantheon, deigned to walk among mortals to defend his planet, calling down lightning from above to strike the hearts of the demons. It was he who struck the final blow, who with the strength of the storm in his hands forced the otherworldly conqueror back to whence he came and destroyed the conduit created by the cubic talismans of power.

And with the retreat of their leader, whatever demons were left alive suddenly felt exposed, their rage and lust for blood replaced by fear of the victorious armies of Earth. The battle against the invasion had been won, and it was not long before the invaders themselves left the planet they had come to conquer. The Amazons, Atlanteans, and Mankind had come out the victors.

The first time Asteria realized what she had done, the battle was already over and the last of the demons on the run.

She blinked in the dim light, looking around at the battlefield as if she had never seen it before. Hundreds, if not thousands, of dark demons lay dead at her feet, thick blood draining from sword wounds in their still forms. Wounds, Asteria realized, that were caused by the sword in her hand. She shook her head at the thought of what she had done, denying the truth.

It was General Antiope who discovered what had happened. In an act of vengeance for her fallen sisters, Asteria had done something incredible and terrible - she had killed what was later calculated to be nearly a tenth of the invader’s army with only a sword and her shield. The victory earned her the recognition of Queen Hippolyta and the immortal title of Champion of the Amazons.

The first time Asteria was addressed as such was during the march towards home and the city they had defended.

The days that followed the victory against otherworldly invaders were ones of joy and recovery - the battle was won and now life would return to the way it had been before. But while the Amazons and Atlanteans counted their blessings, jealousy grew in the hearts of Men. It was the Amazons and their gods who had made the victory possible, and even Mankind’s greatest warriors could not stand beside them as equals. It was crushing, diminishing… and profitable.

Returning from the war, the Men welcomed the Amazonian women heartily with many soft touches and promises to take them home to a warm bed and good food. They had fought hard and earned the right to let their guard down for a time, and so many Amazons unwittingly agreed to their offer, but a few politely turned it down. Those few were rewarded with a Man’s fist cracking across their faces.

Hippolyta moved to protect their fellow Amazons, General Antiope ever at her side, but there would be no chance for retaliation against the enraged Men and their sharp swords when the women themselves were unarmed. They had no choice but to meekly obey when someone began to bind their hands with ropes and strip them of their armor - so it was as captives that the mighty Amazons were welcomed back from their victory.

The first time Asteria entered the slave market, it was as a slave herself.

Forced to stand where all could see her, with her throat and wrists bound in hard iron, she was advertised as the ‘champion of the Amazons’, a great warrior who had fought in the War Against the Invasion. Nearly an hour of haggling ensued, mostly between the master of the brothel and the captain of a local regiment, before her price was finally settled at a hundred in gold paid by the captain himself. She was sold off as a lowly guard of her master’s house, and her only condolence was that a few of her sisters were going with her as cooks and servants.

The first time Asteria arrived at her supposed ‘master’s’ home, she realized that maybe guarding his property was not the only thing she had been bought for.

She and her sisters quickly learned the full scope of their tasks. Every day, they were not only expected, but  _ required _ to mend tools and furniture, prepare food, polish armor, wait on their master’s household, and worst of all, ‘entertain’ whatever Men came to visit in the most unspeakable ways. Any disobedience was quickly rewarded with a lash of a whip, and Asteria quickly learned that the rest of her people were not treated much better by their own masters. It was a hard fall for the once mighty warrior people.

Hippolyta was heartbroken to see her sisters torn away from each other - many stayed in the city, sold to a hundred different masters, but others were sent as far away as the southern mines or even the fields over the mountains. The race of warriors was separated, and what god would have the strength to rescue them now? But that was not to say that Hippolyta would not try.

An oath was made, one that swore to see every Amazon gain freedom once more and rejoin with every lost sister. It began with whispered messages passed throughout the city, spreading the word to Amazons that were enslaved by weaponsmiths or soldiers or even the masters of the city - recover what had been stolen from them.

The first Asteria heard of it was a whisper in the ranks, her sisters murmuring about freedom and escape.

There was an order from their queen to begin collecting whatever weapons and armor that they could, and if you were able, learn how to make such items of war. They would need all that they could get if they were to truly break free. Those who worked in the fields and kitchens and storehouses could prepare provisions for those who needed them, and Amazons who had medical knowledge could collect bandages and salves in case of injuries. A few of their sisters were employed as messengers and had the ability to track down where every last woman of their people had been taken and alert them of the plan. This was to be a revolt - and a bloody one, if need be. Every single one of them was willing to fight for their freedom, and many were even ready to kill.

Countless moons of slavery at the hands of vicious mankind had taken their toll, and the once beautiful queen of the Amazons was now tired and haggard and longing for freedom. She and her sisters had been sent by the gods to heal mankind’s hearts with peace and love, and in return, they had been clapped in irons - slaves of the race they had come to rescue. But that was about to come to an end.

The signal came on the night of the full moon - a bright, droning hum that echoed across the city and stirred one’s blood with the fury of battle. Every Amazon knew the sound of Hippolyta’s war horn.

Without hesitation, every warrior who could reach their hidden weapon used it to break their sisters’ chains. It took mere minutes for them to free nearly every Amazon in the city and the mines and the fields, pressing a blade into each woman’s hand with the surety that they knew how to use it. And then came the exodus and the escape.

They all knew where to go, where to find their sisters - it was the very place from whence they had come: the sea. If anyone tried to capture or halt them (and they would be stopped, as Men did not like to let things go easily), the Amazons were to fight their way through and not falter till they had reached their goal. There would be no stopping the warrior people this time.

The thing was, they had not expected to be followed - or at least, they had not expected to be followed by so many. The Amazons’ show of strength as they escaped had not frightened the Men away but angered them even more. It was an army of thousands that chased them down to the sea, following the fleeing slaves over mountains and through valleys and across rivers, and while the Men grew tired, the Amazons kept on running. There would be no stopping - they had to reach the sea.

The first time she caught sight of the sea of her birth after years of living among Mankind, it was on the morning of the second day of running.

Asteria was at the head of a group following a dry riverbed down to the shoreline, and the moment their feet hit the familiar gravel, they all picked up speed. The beach where the Amazons had first come to Mankind’s lands was close by, and it was not long before they were joyously reunited with their sisters. They embraced each other, calling out familiar names and some even shedding a few tears at the thought of finally being together once more. But their happiness was short-lived - it was not long before they heard another war horn sound in the distance, it’s low, menacing tone reminding them that danger was still close at hand.

Hippolyta was not one for hesitation or being caught off guard, and the moment she heard the Men’s approach, she mounted one of the white steeds her warriors had stolen, and raised her sword once more. She rallied her sisters, urging them to take up whatever weapons they had to defend themselves if they wanted to see another sunrise. Warriors were free people - they would rather die than go back to a life of slavery, and they would kill and die to keep their freedom. So it was as one that the Amazons prepared to fight once more, putting the sea behind them and the Men before them as they let out one last battlecry… and charged.

They fought as they had before, fought as hard as they could as they fought for their lives, and fought against the very men they had once fought alongside. Except now, there were many more Men than Amazons.

The first time Asteria realized that they were outnumbered, she and her sisters were already surrounded.

There were Men on every side of her, fists and swords raised in anger and the wrath of Ares echoing in their battlecries. Men were brutal, Men were violent, Men would leave not one of her sisters alive. Asteria knew the truth - a battle could be won at the cost of a single life… or all of them. And come hell, high water, or even Zeus himself, the champion of the Amazons would not stand by to see her people slaughtered. So for the sake of her sisters and her queen, Asteria made a choice: to be the one soul lost so the battle could be won.

She doubled her efforts, pushing through the wall of fighting bodies to reach the queen and tell her of her plan. Mere moments before she reached their leader, Hippolyta gave the signal to fall back and regroup before the next wave of Mankind’s warriors came thundering down the mountain.

It was then some time before the ranks were organized enough for Asteria to speak with her queen, and then all it took were a few simple words -  _ I will stay _ .

_ I will stay _ , she said,  _ so that my sisters may go _ .

Hippolyta turned down the offer outright. She was a courageous leader and fearsome commander, certainly someone to be reckoned with, but she was also not willing to lose even one of her warriors on a useless endeavor. There were just too many of them, her majesty explained, so all that was left for her people was a final stand. And even if Asteria could somehow fight the battle on her own, she could not hold the Men off forever. Not forever, Asteria reminded her, just long enough for the rest of them to escape to the sea.

It was at that moment that Hippolyta, glorious and immortal queen of the Amazons, saw the truth in her champion’s words. A battle could be won at the cost of a single life, or all of them - and Asteria had chosen to be the one soul lost. She could hold the Men off, draw their attention and take their blows so that her fellow Amazons had a chance to get away - she would once again prove herself as their champion… at the cost of her life.

Though her sisters would not let her die unarmed.

When they heard Asteria’s plan, each and every one of them threw down their armor - helmets, pauldrons, chestplates, and gauntlets - even their shields, if they thought it would help. Pallas, a fellow Amazon and renowned bladesmith who had created many of the weapons used in the War Against the Invasion, took their offerings and prepared her hammer. With a bonfire as her forge and a hard stone as her anvil, she worked through the night while her sisters continued to defend themselves with no armor to protect them.

The sun had hardly risen when Pallas set a golden helmet on the warrior’s head, the shape of the armor likened to an eagle. She told Asteria that the bird was a symbol of power to the Amazons, representing strength and freedom and fighting spirit - all things that she would need if she was to survive Mankind’s war. The armor of a hundred warriors would not be enough to save her life, but it would be enough to give her a chance.

Sword in hand and golden wings stretched high, Asteria, the champion of the Amazons, leapt into the battle. She caught the eye of every warrior around her - a beacon of hope to her sisters, and a gleaming target to the Men. She drew their attention, giving her fellow Amazons a chance to escape while the Men focused their blows entirely on her. She fended off each strike as best as she could and struck another in return whenever she was able, but even the champion could not protect herself from every sword that swung her way.

Asteria had not expected the golden wings draped across her backside to have a use besides maybe an extra layer of armor to protect her from behind. And yet now, they flared out in a show of bright power, folding around her like an aureate shield of steel feathers and defending her from the Men’s undefendable blows. It was in that moment that she realized that maybe the eagle wasn’t the only thing magical about her armor - the wings were mighty and glorious, imbued with the trust of her sisters and the strength of their shields, protecting the one who fought to protect them.

The night before, while Pallas had crafted the armor that now protected her from innumerable blows, General Antiope had drawn Asteria aside with the intention of imparting a few words of wisdom. She asked the young champion a very simple question: did she know who she was?

It was a heartbreaking question with a heartbreaking answer, and Asteria knew that the answer was ‘yes’.

She was the one who would be left behind. The one who would fight while her fellow Amazons escaped. The one who would fall when her strength and armor gave out. The one who would die… if only so that her sisters could see freedom. She would be the one who endured all of this of her own choice.

The first time Asteria felt fear, it was surrounded by hordes of men beating at the golden wings of her armor.

They were close on every side of her, swinging their weapons with no regard for those around them, only hoping to strike a fatal blow to the lone Amazon. And still, Asteria did not falter. She struck her own blows in retaliation, felling whoever she could and deflecting whatever blades made it past her wings. She fought as hard as she could, making every punch and swing and jab count, buying her sisters precious minutes to escape.

She knew her time had come when she heard Hippolyta’s war horn in the distance, its clear note echoing in her ears for the third time in her life - only now instead of indicating the charge, it signaled their retreat.

Through a small parting in the golden feathers shielding her from the battle, dented and scratched by hundreds of blows, Asteria caught sight of something wonderful: the sea.

It looked exactly as it had on the day she was created - shining, shimmering, dancing. The water looked warm as it lapped at her sisters’ boats, gentle waves urging them away from the land and towards safety.

The last Asteria saw of her sisters were their ships disappearing over the sea.

**Author's Note:**

> Note for my followers: this fic is not part of the Red Capes universe. It's just a one-shot and in no way relates to the Brightest Silence or fics following it. Thank you all for reading!
> 
> P.S. I'm gifting this work to my beta even though she didn't ask for it, I just thought it'd be nice and I hope she has an amazing day.
> 
> P.P.S. Writing this fic seriously reminded me of how much I miss my shofar (I have a kudu horn shofar that I got as part of my inheritance, and if you use it just right, it sounds a whole lot like the horn that blows every time Diana is on screen in BvS)(anyway, still waiting for my shofar to be shipped over from my old house in southern Africa. the import laws around animal products are insane these days)(#thanksCOVID).


End file.
